In Focus: A new spoke in the wheel

The General Optical Council (GOC) has created a service to support the roll-out of its new education and training requirements for qualification providers and promote collaboration across the optical sector. It said the Sector Partnership for Optical Knowledge and Education (Spoke) would provide advice and help to education providers that could assist them in meeting the GOC’s updated requirements for qualification approval.

The College of Optometrists will be Spoke’s primary partner and will be supported by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) and the Optometry Schools Council (OSC). Senior representatives from the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians (FODO), the Opticians Academic Schools Council (OASC) and the Association for Independent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (AIO) were also listed as members of Spoke’s knowledge hub oversight committee.